Flathead Personnel

(Dates inclusive)

Forest Supervisors

South Division (Flathead)

North Division (Blackfeet)

At this time the Blackfeet (North Division) was combined with the Flathead (South Division).

Fred Herrig, early day Forest Ranger on the Upper North Fork.

Ranger Districts

The following is a list of Ranger Districts and the period they were served by certain Rangers. Many Districts have been eliminated and recreated. There have been continuous boundary changes made due to changes in workloads, communications, and other reasons.

Holt—Swan Lake District

Echo District

Upper Swan (Condon) District

Lower Holland District

Belton Ranger District (included Glacier National Park)

Coram District

Essex District (included Lower Middle Fork)

Upper Middle Fork District at Java (included Schafer)

Hungry Horse District (above Coram on South Fork; later known as Elk Park)

Spotted Bear District

Big Prairie District

Until 1907, Big Prairie was in two separate units. The area was divided when the Black Bear District was created.

Big Prairie Ranger Station, 1924.

Upper Big Prairie

Big Prairie District Proper

Black Bear District

At one time there was a Black Bear District between Big Prairie and Spotted Bear. Records are incomplete for this District.

Records of the North Fork of the Flathead are incomplete. Until about 1930, the area was in two units: Upper and Lower North Fork Districts. Upper headquarters were at Moran; Lower headquarters, near the junction of the Middle Fork and the North Fork, were later moved near the present site of the Big Creek Ranger Station. The combined District was called the North Fork until 1948, when the name was changed to Glacier View.

Upper North Fork District

Lower North Fork District

Four Rangers are listed prior to 1917: John C. Wood, Jr., Emil Anderson; Marion C. Heikes; and William Winston.

Tally Lake District

Records are incomplete to 1918. Early Rangers included: Frank Leibig, Charlie Strodbeck, and Herbert Harmon.

Supervisor's Staff

The following men have served on the Supervisor's staff in various capacities since around the turn of the century. A complete list is not available; some names may be missing. They are not necessarily listed in chronological order:

W. W. White, D. M. Hunsecker, Jack Clack, C. P. Fickes, W. I. White, K. Wolfe, Adolph Weholt, Clyde S. Webb, Harve Marsh, E. M. Kapp, Charles J. Hash, R. R. Fitting, Clyde D. Blake, James Bosworth, R. S. Ferguson, W. L. Baldwin, Ralph Space, Myrtle Lake, E. F. Barry, Harry Gruner, Favre Eaton, Stan Larson, H. C. Woods, Mike Skones, William H. Ibenthal, Herb Larsen, A. C. Adams, Roger Thaanum, Jack Jost, Abner W. Foskette, Roscoe H. Windbigler, E. E. Morris, Victor Carter, Les Morris, Vern Collins, Ed Daigle, Kenneth B. Yeager, Robert S. Morgan, Robert E. Gillespie, George Weyermann, John R. Castles, J. Frank Meneely, R. F. Croskrey, Walt Kasberg, John Hall, and James Freeman; although Carter J. Helseth is substaff, he has been making high-level decisions on Flathead National Forest fires for 30 years.

Flathead National Forest Supervisor and Ranger force and staff of 1950. Sitting left to right: Fred Metcalf, Les Morris, Bert Bealey, Ray Gardner, John Stentz, Carter Helseth, Floyd (Flip) Darling, Charlie Shaw, Pete Danielson, Virgil (Stubby) Eastman, Harry Gruner, Stan Larson, Clarence Robertson, Earl McConnell, Walt Peter son, Jack Jost, Joe Steppler. Standing left to right: Win. H. Ibenthal, Ralph Thayer, Pat Taylor, T. W. (Toad) Paullin, Robert Croskrey, Art Whitney, Gordon M. (Bud) Daugharty, Glenn Maryott, Oliver (Slim) Meyer, Les Darling, C. A. (Scoop) Scovel, Fred Neitzling, Roscoe Windbigler, John Castles, August Schafer, and John Pike.